


Trade

by Burgie



Category: Star Stable Online
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-10
Updated: 2018-03-10
Packaged: 2019-03-29 08:42:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13923510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: Alex confronts Katja about why she wanted the golden apple so badly. Alternate version of the story quests.





	Trade

“Well, you have your answer,” said Katja as the Soul Riders all talked amongst themselves in shock. They all looked crestfallen, and their devastated faces lifted Katja’s spirits. She’d only come here to attempt to steal Fripp away to dispose of him, but instead, she’d managed to crush the morale of the Soul Riders better than anything else that Dark Core had done so far. This was better than merely injuring one of them or kidnapping their horses or riders, this wasn’t something that they could get over very soon.

“Wait,” said Alex as Katja began to ride off. She stopped, annoyed, and turned to face her eternal enemy. Curse the Pandorian bargain for lingering. She should have remembered this from last time, but her victory had made her cocky and foolish.

“What?” Katja snapped, wanting to just be gone.

“Why did you want the golden apple so badly that it made you leave the race?” asked Alex. “It’s not like you to be distracted so easily.”

“Oh, so you do remember that,” said Katja, trying her hardest to fight the fear that kept her there, the magic that stopped her from leaving. “I thought that my news would have made you too upset to notice.”

“Well, it didn’t,” said Alex. “Answer my question.”

“Fine,” said Katja, her fear making her voice shake. “I need it to heal Stalker.” She was glad for the hood that hid her face, so that Alex wouldn’t see just how much she needed that apple. “He didn’t make the journey back from Pandoria well. I didn’t, either, but you probably know that.” She looked at Louisa, who was the one Soul Rider who didn’t look upset. She looked scared, but that was about it. Darn, so they had a smart one in their ranks.

“Okay, I can understand that,” said Alex, nodding. “It’s not like you have a healer among your ranks. Fine, I’ll give you the apple. But on one condition.” Katja growled, feeling the magic grow in strength.

“What?” asked Katja, angry now.

“Answer my question,” said Alex. “Is Concorde dead?” Katja groaned, feeling the victory snatched from her fingers.

“How should I know?” said Katja, her irritation making her snap. “I only recently came back to Jorvik from Pandoria, in case you’ve forgotten. They only told me about putting Anne in Pandoria and trying to put Concorde there too because they were gloating about it. But they didn’t tell me much because I revealed our major plan last time, and they don’t trust me anymore.” She felt a weight lift from her shoulders as she admitted what she’d known for a long time. They didn’t send her on big, important missions, she’d only been allowed to go on this one because of her nightmare power.

“So, we’re back at square one,” said Alex with a sigh.

“And don’t expect us to fall for this trick again,” said Katja. She held her hand out. “Now, give me the apple.”

“Alright, catch,” said Alex, tossing it. Katja lunged for it, cradling it in her hands in desperation. She held the precious fruit close to her chest for a moment, staring at it in wonder, and then tucked it inside Kaahn’s saddlebag. Sabine’s horse gave one last glare at the Soul Riders as he set off again, towards Moorland where the barges would take them home.

Outside the gates of Scarecrow Hill, the Soul Riders talked.

“Why did you give her the apple?” asked Lisa.

“More importantly, where’d you get it from?” asked Linda. “I’m sure that tree shouldn’t have grown a new apple already.”

“Evergray had one,” said Alex with a shrug. 

“Of course, he did,” said Linda.

“And I only gave her the apple because I’d get a one-way ticket to Pandoria, otherwise,” said Alex.

“Fair enough,” said Lisa with a shrug. “She seemed pretty desperate for it, anyway, it’d be cruel to make her watch her horse die.”

“Not as cruel as telling us that Concorde’s dead when she just doesn’t know where he is,” said Alex. “That witch.”

“But how could she get away with saying that?” asked Linda. “That’s what I don’t get. The Pandorian bargain meant that she had to tell the truth, or risk a vacation in pink hell.”

“Because she didn’t say that he was dead,” said Louisa. “Trust me, I’ve read enough fictional books about faeries to know that there are ways to lie without lying. She just said that he didn’t make it to Pandoria, and we all interpreted that to mean that he was dead.”

“Shit, you’re right,” said Alex, rubbing her chin. She grinned. “I’m glad we’ve got you with us, Louisa.”

“Be suspicious of everything,” said Louisa, smiling. “And trust no one.”

Out off the coast of Jorvik, on an oil rig where the rain and darkness reigned eternal, a girl clad in white approached a darkened horse stall. Fire sputtered around the horse’s hooves as he lay on a bed of hay, his breathing shallow and uneven. The girl crouched down, a golden apple held in her hands, and offered the apple to him.

“Here, boy,” said the girl, smiling gently. “Eat this. It’ll make you feel better, I promise.” The horse lifted his head, sniffing the air. And then, smelling the delicious scent of apple, he stretched his neck out and bit into the apple.

The change was instant, a white glow appearing in the horse’s chest and spreading through him. He rose to his hooves steadily, and nickered his gratitude as he stepped towards his rider. She giggled as he nuzzled her, rubbing her hands over his neck. He may need re-darkening now, but at least he was no longer on death’s door.


End file.
